I sat in church Sunday—the first Sunday under the shelter in place directive.

Well, I didn’t sit in the church building. I sat at my kitchen table. The sun seemed bright even though my front window view was splattered with large snowflakes.

I clicked the Facebook link just in time to begin.

And I was not alone.

I watched others—most I knew but some I didn’t—pop onto the screen as they joined the service. I saw a friend who had moved many years ago join. We only have sporadic contact, but I knew enough of her story (and she mine) that my eyes filled with tears with joy of getting to worship with her. I texted her, and as we “chatted,” we realized things hadn’t changed much since we were in church under the same roof and would send an occasional message about nothing of importance.

So many of us were physically in different places but close spiritually. It was an overwhelming sense of God’s provision and presence. The church had literally left the building.

We can be physically distant yet spiritually close. Just as we can be physically close but spiritually distant.

We can even go through the motions of where we know God to be yet distance ourselves from him. Sometimes, we need that as part of the process of reconciling who he is and who we are and what we need and how he provides it. But other times, we’re not on a journey as much as we are adrift.

One of the downsides to getting away from the church building is easy avoidance. One of the upsides is the refreshing experience of knowing his presence does not depend on a time or place.

Sometimes it’s hard to get people to come to the building with us. But when they can “come alongside us” through social media? That’s not quite as difficult. In fact, they can pretty much do so discreetly.

This Sunday, you’ll be able to find a myriad of worship experiences and teaching through your regular social media feeds. Pause a few moments and engage.